Some people are in fitness to get you super ripped or super lean but not me. I'm in fitness to inspire as many people as possible to get moving, even if it's just a little bit – of course if you catch the fitness bug and want to get in serious shape then that's even better! As well as fitness, pre and post natal health, motivation, psychology and nutrition, there's my very special Sunday section, totally devoted to treats, baking and down time because life's about balance!.

Guest post: How to get to sleep with a wall inversion

This post is written by the amazing Lucy Bannister who has been teaching Dru yoga in the workplace on behalf of Fit School for over a year.

I’ve just started getting my Pilates participants to try this wall inversion. It’s a fantastic passive stretch for your hamstrings and hips. Do try it.

I wanted to get Lucy’s take on the inversion as a yoga instructor. There’s more to the pose than just stretching as many of you have discovered. Give it a try.

How are you sleeping?

If the answer is not so great, or could be better, then read on.

When the clocks change it can totally mess with our sleeping patterns, or perhaps it is the arrival of a small person in your life, long work hours or an intense social life that is leading to you not getting the rest you need.

All too often, though, it is not these external factors but rather our own minds and habits that are causing the barrier to sleep.

Sleep is beautiful, restorative and quite frequently in modern life, an indulgence. And those who are getting too little sleep will know only too well how hard life becomes without it.

Sometimes moving is the only way to get our minds and bodies to rest properly, but there are a few other things you can try too:

– Don’t drink caffeine after 4pm (it stays in your system and can leave you wired for many hours after).

– Switch off your screens. The flicker from digital screens activates our stress responses. So whatever your screen of choice – TV, mobile, computer – switch them off at least 30 minutes before you go to bed and don’t start Tweeting or updating your Facebook status when you wake in the night!

– Breathe. Simple but oh so incredibly important. Once you start you will realise how precious being aware of your breath is.

– Yoga. A gentle yoga practice before bed, and if you wake in the night, is ideal for calming and clearing the mind, aiding the all important relaxation response. Had many hours of lying in bed with your body tense and the mind racing? Get up and relax, then return to bed ready to sleep.

A perfect pre-bed yoga pose is Simple Inversion (it also works if you wake in the night). It allows the flow of blood to return to the heart, which is great for easing out a stressed body and calming a busy mind.

Simple Inversion | Sarvangasana 1

Preparation

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor

Interlock your hands behind your head

Breathe in and as you breathe out draw your elbows together, lifting your head from the floor

This stretches out your neck and spine ready for the inversion

Posture

Fold a blanket so that is the length of your torso (hips to shoulders)

Place the blanket against a clear bit of wall (or door or wardrobe)

Sit on the blanket, up against the wall and position your hips as close as you can to the wall

Lie down along the blanket and manoeuvre yourself around so that your legs are upright on the wall and your buttocks are resting against the base of the wall

Open your arms at right angles to your torso, and no higher than your shoulders

Breathe and relax in this position

If your legs won’t go straight up against the wall, place your feet flat on the wall and bend your knees slightly. If your hamstrings are tight it might take a while before you can put your legs flat.

Start with five minutes in this position and build up to longer sessions. Don’t go into an inversion for too long the first time as the venous return (the flow of blood back towards the heart) can be quite powerful.

Give it a try next time you need to relax and get a good night’s sleep.